PARTNER NEWSLETTER: MARCH 2015

2015 NFL DRAFT

Fifty-one years after it was last
held in Chicago, the National Football League
(NFL) will present the 2015 NFL Draft at
the Auditorium Theatre of Roosevelt University, April 30-May 2.

Round 1 will take place on Thursday,
April 30 while Rounds 2-3 will be held on Friday, May 1. The Draft will
conclude on Saturday, May 2 with Rounds 4-7. Round 1 festivities will include
incoming prospects walking the red carpet on Michigan Avenue, while 32 former
players who are members of the NFL Legends community, one representing each
team, will be on hand for Round 2 to announce selections.

Draft Town

The 2015 NFL Draft has been
completely re-imagined so that NFL Fans from across the country can experience
longtime traditions, including the process as to how the future of their team
will be decided over three days. Gather with fellow fans at Draft Town located
in Chicago's iconic Grant Park, just steps away from the Auditorium Theatre and
watch all the excitement unfold.

Draft Town is a sprawling, free fan festival in downtown Chicago's Grant Park
open to the public all three days of the Draft for family-friendly fun. Though
Draft Town is the hub for all Draft action, the footprint is about more than
just football. Draft Town features live music, food, player appearances,
interactive games, photo opps, places to view the 2015 NFL Draft on television
and more action than ever before-no ticket required. Draft Town showcases how
the NFL and Chi-town have collectively re-imagined the Draft experience.

Want to get involved with the 2015
NFL Draft? The Chicago Sports Commission will be managing a volunteer program
for the 2015 NFL Draft and will be sending out information in the upcoming
weeks. To be sure you don't miss any of these updates, sign up for CSC's
volunteer communications.

CELEBRATE JAMES BEARD WITH JAMES BEARD EATS WEEK

As
you may know, the James Beard Foundation will be celebrating the 25th
Anniversary of the James Beard Awards in Chicago on Monday, May 4, 2015. As
host city supporters of this prestigious event, Choose Chicago and the Illinois
Restaurant Association are committed to solidifying the city's culinary
industry by strengthening relationships between our partner organizations and
the James Beard Foundation. In the spirit of building these connections, we are
excited to present you with an opportunity to celebrate James Beard and
Chicago's vibrant dining scene.

James
Beard Eats Week is a week of dining devoted to the celebration and recognition
of James Beard himself. Requirements for participation include serving either a
James Beard-inspired dish or full James Beard-inspired menu to be offered to
your guests from April 30 - May 8, 2015. As a resource for you, The James Beard
Foundation maintains a list of American Classic James Beard inspired recipes on
their website, which can be found here.

Eligibility
for participation in James Beard Eats Week includes a $100 donation be made to
the James Beard Foundation Scholarship Program, which will directly support
aspiring Chicago culinary students on a path to success in the rewarding world
of the hospitality industry. Additional information about the James Beard
Foundation Scholarship Program can be obtained here.
This program will be marketed to consumers via Choose Chicago and
Illinois Restaurant Association's social media channels, as well as CS Modern Luxury and Front Desk Chicago Magazine.

Your
participation in James Beard Eats Week also provides you eligibility to win two
(2) tickets to the James Beard Foundation Awards Gala on May 4 at the Lyric
Opera of Chicago. A winner will be chosen at random by the Illinois Restaurant
Association and notified via email no later than March 31, 2015.

Anointed
the "Dean of American cookery" by the New York Times in 1954, James Beard laid
the groundwork for the food revolution that has put America at the forefront of
global gastronomy. Beard nurtured a generation of American chefs who have
changed the way we eat and his legacy of culinary excellence and integrity to
generations of home cooks and professional chefs lives on. James Beard remains
synonymous with American food.

The 2015 James Beard Foundation will hold its 25th annual Awards Gala at
Lyric Opera of Chicago, Monday, May 4. The "Oscars of the food
industry" will welcome the best chefs, restaurateurs, restaurant
designers and architects, and other food and beverage professionals from
around the world. Master of Ceremonies this year is celebrity chef,
author and television personality Alton Brown.

This is a thrilling event that shines a spotlight on our world-renowned
cuisine and dining culture. We are so proud to be hosting the James
Beard Awards - please join us in celebrating this premier event, we
appreciate your support of our outstanding dining community.

BECOME A CHOOSE CHICAGO CHAMPION TODAY!

The Choose Chicago Public Policy
team is weeks away from flying to D.C. to learn about new travel laws and
regulations as well as talk with Illinois legislators about the importance of
the travel industry to Chicago, Illinois and the nation.

Want to stay in the know about
these new laws and regulations that will further shape our industry? Sign up to
become a Choose Chicago Champion today! As a Choose
Chicago Champion you will be joining us in the effort to communicate the
importance of tourism in the City of Chicago and be the first to know when an
issue that will affect the travel industry and potentially your business comes
up.

We'll provide you with all of the necessary
information and the actions you can take to resolve the issue and who needs to
hear from you. We will also deliver to you relevant tourism news, including
trends, statistics and facts so that you're always up to date.

By joining you will receive:

A bi-weekly newsletter featuring relevant
tourism news and advocacy from around the world.

Invitations to our meet and greet Travel
Exchange luncheons with state and local elected officials.

Access to the latest information and documents
from our Advocacy Toolkit which provides you with the necessary information,
tips, sample letters, talking points and other tools to help you.

Breaking News and Alerts as it pertains to the
industry.

Travel, one of Chicago's leading
industries, has a major impact as an economic driver with an undeniable
positive affect on every single community across the country. As proud members
of this vital industry we have a responsibility to advocate on its behalf and ensure
its position as a viable economic driver. Advocating for the industry and
helping our elected officials and other government leaders to understand the
importance is a critical step in that direction.

CONCIERGE PREFERRED CONVENTION & TRADE SHOW

Concierge Preferred is excited to announce that their
14th annual Convention and Trade Show will take place on Tuesday, April 28, 2015 at Navy Pier's Crystal Gardens.

The
theme of this year's convention is "Chicago Tourism: The Table is Set," capitalizing on several major events coming to Chicago including the NFL Draft and James Beard Awards, as well as a record year for
tourism on the horizon.

This
year, the event kicks off at 11 a.m. with a paneldiscussion moderated
by Choose Chicago's President and CEO Don Welsh. The discussion will touch upon new developments in Chicago's culinary
scene, events with a focus on live music, and the NFL Draft's impact among
other high-profile events. The panel will include:

Mark
Campana, Co-President North America Concerts for Live Nation
Peter O'Reilly, Senior Vice President of Events for the National Football
League
John Colletti, Managing Partner of Gibson's Restaurant Group

The Trade Show is designed to forge relationships between the concierge community, the meeting
and event planning industry, and businesses that cater to Chicago's visitors.
The event offers a look at the best Chicago has to offer both business and
leisure travelers with over 120 booths and over 1,700 hospitality industry professionals
expected to attend throughout the day. The Trade Show runs from 11:30 a.m. until 7 p.m.

WHY CHOOSE CHICAGO: SUSAN EURITT, GARRETT POPCORN SHOPS

Susan Euritt is Vice President of Direct Sales and Business Development for Garrett Brands. Euritt recently talked with us about joining Choose Chicago as a partner and how
the industry network has benefited her business.

I am the new Vice President of Direct Sales and Business Development for Garrett
Brands. In this role it will be my responsibility to build a business to
business strategic sales development plan for each of our domestic regions
which include Chicago, but also Las Vegas, Detroit, Atlanta and New York.

What are
some of the goals of your organization?

To
have a bigger footprint both domestically and internationally and to create a
sales team which focuses on building relationships with businesses in all of
our regions.

What
projects are you most proud of?

Most
recently, we are proud of our partnership with Choose Chicago to welcome both
PCMA and IPW - two very prestigious events that showcased our city and all that
it has to offer. Collaborating with Choose Chicago was a valuable way to
network, develop relationships and create new business partners.

What
would you say to a business owner or organization that is considering joining
Choose Chicago?

Choose
Chicago is a valuable resource that will link your organization to key decision
makers responsible for business travel and cultural tourism, as well as connect
you with fellow partners that all have a vested interest in the benefits of
driving economic impact for Chicago.

Why did
you join? What were your expectations?

This
is a funny question for me to answer as I previously worked for Choose Chicago
for 12 years in both Sales and Strategic Marketing Partnerships. I know
all that Choose Chicago has to offer and firmly believe in the value.
Networking within Choose Chicago has become a constant for my personal success
and for that of my company.

Of all
that Choose offers, be it networking, advertising or otherwise, what has been
most the greatest benefit to your organization?

Creating
relevant and meaningful partnership opportunities that are customized to create
a win/win all around.

What are one or two concrete examples of how partnering with Choose Chicago has
helped you continue to grow your organization?

We
decided to partner with Choose Chicago to host PCMA, whose 4,000+ attendees
(both Meeting Professionals and Suppliers) all represent a variety of markets
or potential customers to us. We have already seen the benefits
of our partnership with Choose Chicago through increased direct sales
and experiential events as a result of our activation during PCMA.

RECENT SHOW SUCCESS AND UPCOMING CONVENTIONS

Recently, the City of Chicago and McCormick Place welcomed the 2015 Chicago Auto Show and the International Home + Housewares Show. These major annual conventions brought thousands of attendees from around the world, and both held outstanding charitable events for worthy causes. Please join us in congratulating the Chicago Auto Show and International Home + Housewares Show on their successful conventions in Chicago!

The 2015 Chicago Auto Show (Feb. 13-21) saw its attendance increase seven percent over 2014, and its #CAS15 hashtag reached 30 million people totaling 22,500 tweets. The Auto Show's First Look for Charity event raised over $2.5 million, to be shared by 18 area charities. Approximately 9,500 people attended the event, and two FLFC attendees won brand new automobiles. The Safe Haven Food Drive, the largest canned food drive in the nation, also took place. Attendees who brought three or more cans of food to the show received a discount coupon for half price off admission.

The International Home + Housewares Showwelcomed more than 60,000 attendees to Chicago, March 7-10. Its total exhibit space sold, number of exhibiting companies and first-time exhibiting companies surpassed its 2014 totals. The Housewares Charity Foundation Gala, March 9, took place in the Grand Ballroom of Navy Pier. The Gala benefitted the Breast Cancer Research Foundation and has raised $28 million for BCRF since 1998. A portion of this year's proceeds also benefitted Save The Children.

For 90 years, America's Beauty
Show® (ABS) has been the event tens of thousands of salon professionals look
forward to for the latest education and exhibits of the newest fashions,
products and business techniques that make salons successful.

Automate is the largest solutions-based showcase of automation technologies in North America. Automate demonstrates the full spectrum of automation technologies and solutions for a broad array of industries.

CHOOSE CHICAGO PARTNERSHIP OFFICE HOURS

Drop by and see us during our monthly office hours! Choose Chicago will
offer one-on-one walk-in hours for our partner organizations at our
downtown office located at 72 E. Randolph. Office hours provide an
opportunity to meet with the Choose Chicago Partnership team as well as a
representative from Miles Partnership to discuss:

Questions or concerns regarding your partnership

Benefits and resources available to help grow your organization

How to enhance your online profile including a tutorial on the Partner Extranet

APRIL PARTNER EDUCATIONAL SEMINAR & NETWORKING EVENT - Save the Date

Come
learn about Destination Management Companies (DMCs) and the important role they
play in helping promote Chicago as a meetings destination. More importantly
increase your sales by building stronger relationships with DMC partners and working closely with them
as they develop, manage and execute meetings, events, accommodations,
transportation, customized programs and tours and more for their clients. A distinguished panel of DMC professionals will share their insights and best practices.

Jay Weidner, Managing Partner for On The Scene, will open the session with an overview of the DMC industry. Rose
Horcher, VP of Client Services for Choose Chicago, will moderate this lively
discussion with the following DMC panelists:

CAPTURE THE VALUE: MAKE THE MOST OF YOUR CHOOSE CHICAGO PARTNERSHIP - Save the Date

Discover
the best ways for your organization to connect with our Choose Chicago team.
Meet one-on-one with representatives from across Choose Chicago to share
information about your products and services during our informal and energetic
networking event.

As a valued partner of Choose Chicago, your organization can take advantage of discounts up to 10% for Translations.com's full suite of translation services and technology.

This new language services program allows for translations of:

Document translation

In-person and remote interpretation

Multilingual typesetting and graphics

Website and software localization

Global multimedia services

Multicultural marketing

Global legal support services

Language management technology

Chicago's goal is to become one of the top 5 most visited U.S. cities by
international travelers by 2020. To welcome these visitors, Choose
Chicago strongly encourages partners to incorporate foreign language
communications to support the organization's global initiatives and help
your businesses capture a greater share of the international visitor
market.

CHICAGO GOSPEL MUSIC FESTIVAL

Gospel got its start in Chicago in the early 1900s in the Bronzeville neighborhood. This year, the annual Chicago Gospel Music Festival will continue to keep that tradition alive for its milestone 30th year at Millennium Park, May 29-31. Get your fill of inspirational tunes over this three-day event featuring the best in local, national and international gospel music performers.

The event is free and family-friendly, so settle in for some powerful performances. Help support this outstanding music festival by promoting it to your clients and visitors any way you can. The Gospel Music Festival kicks off Chicago's big lineup of summer festivals, and what better way to do so than with extraordinary vocalists, lively choral groups, and the best in traditional and contemporary gospel.

THE BOOK OF MORMON

The irreverent, smash-hit musical The Book of Mormon returns to Chicago for a limited run through May 17. From the creators of South Park, The Book of Mormon has won nine Tony Awards, including Best Musical, and hits the Bank of America Theatre once again.

MARKETING CHICAGO

As Chicago's official destination marketing organization, various Choose
Chicago team members travel the world to share our story and encourage
visitation to our city. Here's where we'll be connecting with our
customers/partners over the weeks ahead:

3-22/3/25, 2015

CBI-Pharma Meeting Planners Forum 2015

Washington, D.C.

3/25, 2015

Destinations Showcase DC 2015

Washington, D.C.

4/09, 2015

Springtime Expo 2015

Washington, D.C.

4/20-4/23, 2015

ConferenceDirect Annual Partner Meeting 2015

Dallas, TX

Choose Chicago has several upcoming opportunities for our partners to
participate in shows and events around the world. Please email eventrsvp@choosechicago.com for more information - more details to be released soon.

For more information, please contact Lori Adlesick, Vice President of Industry Relations & Special Events, at ladlesick@choosechicago.com.